The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-12-08
I t[1'EA6HERs'GoLUMN,
j. e.. CLINKsCALEs, EDITOR.
MORAL raA1S1Ne IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

MORAL TRAINING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
We heartily agree with statement in
the Herald and Pfesbytsr that "some-
thing should be done to lift the public
schools from their low moral condition" !"
for they are in an alarming condition.
True. this subject is being earnestly dis.
clssed by many Of our prominent educa-
tors, and by the religious press, but too
much can not be done toward placing
the true condition and situation of our
schools before the minds of the people.
More attention must be given to this
very important matter. The people of
one section of the country must know
that what is true of the low moral con-
dition of their schools is also true OF
thousands Of others, and that something
imperative must be done.
If the children are toreceive no moral
instruction, or comparatively little, IN
the public schools, where are millions Of
them going to receive. it? Out OF the
100000 pupils enrolled in the schools
of the United States, it is safe to say that
100000 of them never receive moral
instruction at home. Then, how are
thew to be reached? It is evident that
q very email per cent. Of the 100000
are reached by tho Sabbath school.
Therefore, it plainly follows that if they
receive any moral teaching, it must come
from the public schools. Then, shall
the children be morally instructed in our
public sehools2 Or is it more important
that all their training and instruction be
intellectual alone? Shall we entirely
abandon the Bible-banish it from the
schools, the only place where large
majority Of the children can be reachedY
But the Bible has already been banlshed
from thousands of schools, or has never
entered them. Only q few years ago it
Was thrown out of q great many from
the fear Of teaching sectarianism. This
same principle, carried a little further,
results in laxness of morals which Is
becoming alarming. In fact, the state
of public morals is not only fearful, but,
we truly believe. is growing worse.
Everywhere wc see exhibited-in bust
ness, in politics, in social and family ilfe
dishonesty, hypocricy and all forms Of
vice. Much of this comes from loose
training Of the children.
In the "Ordinance of 1887" grand
exhibition of wisdom is shown in the
clause which says: Religion. morality
and knowledge being necessary to good
government, therefore schools and the
mesns Of education shall be encouraged"
This recognizes the fact that good
moral training is indispensable even to
good citizenship, and places religion and
morality before knowledge as indisputa'
BILE factors in school instruction. But
the tendency to-day seems to be to place
them last and least, or omit them alto.
gether.
We strongly reprove some Boards Of
Education ard Revision Committees tor
certain actions of the past few years.
One great wrong we think they have
com1litted is the revision of the school
books. The books needed revision, tits
true, but that revision should have been
for the better. No doubt the persons
engaged in this work thought that they
were making a much.needed improve
ment, but in regard to the school readers
we think they have made fatal blunder.
Some improvements have been intro
duced into the readers, but that which
far more than overbalances this good is
the mistake they have made in throwing
out, with seeming disdain, almost every
thing that savored Of religion in the
least, OF that would even suggest an
incubation Of good morals. 1t looks as
if they had been afraid that some poor
child, who has never heard his parents
speak of God, except to use his name in
vain, might be impressed with sense of
duty and moral obligation by reading
some of the choice selections of Christian
literature which have been carefully
called out. Greater evils than this will
ultimately result from this complete
secularization of school literature. Bet
ter that little. sectarianism should crop
out occasionally, than to have no moral
instruction in our schools. Under the
present state Of things 'sthe degree Of
moral instruction depends on the teacher
whose motive must be Christian duty, OF
the necessity of such instruction to en-
force discipline" But there are thou.
sands of teachers who have no realization
of Christian duty in their work, and this
class of teachers will largely increase as
long as there is to be no more moral
training in the schools than at present.
True, there are good many teachers
who realize the importance and sacred
ness of their work, and believe that the
conscience should be cultivated as we'll as
the intellect. But this class of workers,
ne fear, is in the minority. 1t should
not be 80. Mono but Christian spirited
men and women should ever cross the
threshold as teachers, aud hope that
every teacher who reads this will ask
himself or herself the all.important
question, cam ] true Christian? Am
competent of my charged Am | really
fit to be placed up as guide, model
copy, for the dear children entrusted to
my care? Am not accountable for all
the impressions, good or bad, make
upon my pupils? And will I not be
held accountable inasmuch as I inculcate